HEALTH CARE

Health Care Costs Continue Double-Digit Increases: Despite wider use of cost controls, health care benefits rose 10% last year to an average of $3,968 per worker, a study found. “The good news is that the 10% rise in total health plan costs was the lowest rate since 1987,” said John Erb, author of the study by the consulting firm Foster Higgins. “But it’s still three times the inflation rate. That’s the bad news.” The cost of providing care through health maintenance organizations averaged $3,313 per worker last year, up 8.8% from 1991. The cost of traditional health insurance rose 14.2% to an average of $4,080 per worker.